


we'll always be here for you

by book_lover101



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Fluff, Mentioned Kayla Knowles/Original Female Character, Playful teasing, Sibling Love, Siblings, identity crisis, kayla is just struggling through growing up, will and austin are there to distract her
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 12:20:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28635387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/book_lover101/pseuds/book_lover101
Summary: Kayla is just struggling with growing up, and is trying to figure out her identity. Luckily, Will and Austin are there to distract her when growing up becomes too exhausting.
Relationships: Kayla Knowles & Austin Lake & Will Solace, Kayla Knowles/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 3





	we'll always be here for you

**Author's Note:**

> Just some Cabin 7 siblings fluff because I'm currently going through an identity crisis and needed something to distract me.
> 
> *My original female character Willow from "take the risk or live with the regret" is mentioned, but that story isn't really related to this one other than Willow being in both of them.
> 
> *Technically set after "take the risk or live with the regret" but this is an entirely separate story.

Kayla knew she wasn't a normal kid. After all, she was a half-blood, a daughter of Apollo. She knew that she wasn't like other girls her age, and she was okay with that. She had a cabin full of half-siblings who she loved, and an amazing girlfriend. But not being a normal kid didn't make her exempt from some of the same struggles as other teenagers.

Kayla sat on her bunk in the Apollo cabin, her bow laying next to her. She had planned to go to the archery range for some target practice, but she ended up sitting on her bed and wondering if she was wasting her time by focusing on archery so much. This wasn't the first time that she'd thought about this. Over the last few weeks she had been struggling with her identity, and trying to figure out who she was. She knew that it was a normal thing that a lot of teenagers experienced, but that didn't make it any easier.

"Kayla, are you in here?" a voice called from the doorway. Kayla looked up to see Gracie, one of her half-siblings, standing there.

"Yeah, what's up?" Kayla asked, trying to sound calm, and not like she was spiraling into a full blown identity crisis.

"Will and Austin sent me to find you. You're scheduled to work in the infirmary today." Gracie said.

Of course. How could Kayla have forgotten? It wasn't like she didn't usually work in the infirmary. But as she tried to stand from her bunk, she began to feel heavy, like a huge weight had just been placed on her shoulders. She was exhausted, trying to pretend that she was confident in her identity.

"Kayla, are you okay?" Gracie asked, sounding worried. Kayla shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. "Do you want me to go get Will?" Gracie asked. Kayla nodded, blinking back her tears. Gracie turned and ran out of the cabin, and Kayla sat back down on her bunk. She curled up on her side with her head on her pillow and tried to take some deep breaths.

The door to the cabin swung open and Will rushed inside, with Austin right behind him. "Kayla, what's wrong?" Will asked, hurrying to her side. He sat down on the bunk while Austin picked up Kayla's bow and hung it from a hook on the wall. Kayla sat up and tried to speak, but she couldn't seem to form words. Instead, she let out a sob that shook her whole body, and her tears began to fall. "Oh Kayla." Will murmured, realizing just how much his half-sister was struggling. "Come here kiddo." Will held out his arms and Kayla fell into them, sobbing into his chest, her tears soaking his shirt. Austin sat down next to Will, and the two of them let Kayla cry.

After a few minutes, Kayla had managed to stop crying. She wiped the tears from her cheeks, and let the presence of Will and Austin calm her down. "I'm sorry." she said, though it came out as barely a whisper.

"You have nothing to apologize for." Will said. "Whatever's going on, it's going to be okay." He held Kayla protectively, his older brother instincts kicking in. "What's wrong Kayla?" Will asked.

Kayla shook her head. "You're just going to think it's stupid." she said quietly, looking down at her bunk.

"Hey, look at me." Will said. Kayla did, though she was hesitant to do it. "I promise you, I won't think it's stupid. I'm worried, Kayla. This isn't like you." Will watched her face, searching for any signs of anger.

Instead, Kayla sighed. "I'm just so tired." she admitted. "Growing up is exhausting. I feel like I don't know who I am anymore. I've been constantly questioning my identity for weeks, and I hate it."

All three of them were silent. Then, Austin spoke up. "Why didn't you say anything about it sooner?" he asked, concern filling his voice.

"I didn't want to bother you guys." Kayla said.

"Hey, you're never a bother to us." Will said, ruffling Kayla's hair. "We're your family, and we'll always be here for you, no matter what."

"And we'll never think that anything you're struggling with is stupid." Austin added, reaching out and giving Kayla's shoulder a squeeze.

Kayla let out a sigh as she uncurled herself from Will's arms. "Thanks guys." she said.

"Oh, and I was able to get people to cover for us in the infirmary today." Will said. "So what do you need from us right now?"

"Honestly, I just need you guys to distract me. I really don't want to deal with my identity crisis right now. I'd rather talk about anything else." Kayla said, feeling like a weight had been lifted off of her.

"I think we can manage that." Will said. "So, how are things going with Willow?" he asked, a playful smirk on his face.

Kayla groaned. "How did I not guess you were going to bring this up?" she asked.

Will laughed. "Hey, you said you needed a distraction." he said.

"Fair enough." Kayla said, though she could feel her stomach filling with butterflies as she anticipated the inevitable teasing she was going to get from her siblings.

"Well? Are you going to answer the question?" Austin asked, the smirk on his face almost identical to Will's.

Kayla looked down at her hands. "It's going really well." she said, a smile creeping onto her face.

"Is that all you're going to tell us?" Will asked, nudging Kayla's shoulder. "We don't get any more details?"

"What exactly do you want to know?" Kayla asked, looking up from her bunk.

"I don't know, but it feels like you're not telling us everything." Will said. "Do you agree with me Austin?" he asked, turning towards where Austin is sitting on the edge of Kayla's bunk.

"I definitely agree with you Will." Austin said, playfully smirking at Kayla.

Kayla rolled her eyes. "You two are so annoying." she said, but she couldn't help the smile that grew on her face.

"Come on, Kayla. We just want to hear about how it's going with your girlfriend." Will said. 

As soon as he said the word "girlfriend" Kayla felt her cheeks grow warm. Will and Austin noticed it too, and they exchanged mischievous grins. "Look at you, still getting flustered whenever we mention your girlfriend." Austin said, emphasizing the last word.

Kayla felt her face get warmer, but she tried to ignore it. "I do not get flustered." she said, even though she was obviously lying. 

"Really?" Will asked, raising an eyebrow. "Because the way that you're blushing says otherwise." This made Kayla blush even brighter, and she quickly turned away from Will and Austin, hiding her face in her pillow.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Kayla yelled into her pillow, loud enough for Will and Austin to hear.

"Then why are you hiding from us?" Austin asked. Even with her face hidden in her pillow, Kayla could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Because you're just going to tease me!" Kayla said loudly, her face still buried in her pillow.

"Hey, it's our job." Will said, moving to sit next to Kayla. "Besides you're the one who wanted a distraction. Now stop hiding from us."

"No way!" Kayla said, her words muffled by the pillow.

Will and Austin exchanged a knowing look. "If you're not going to stop hiding from us on your own, we can always make you." Will said.

"No you can't!" Kayla yelled into her pillow.

"Really?" Will asked, smirking at Austin. "We'll see about that." 

Before Kayla could respond, Will reached over and squeezed Kayla's sides, causing her to let out a squeal. "What are you doing?" she said, her words muffled but still audible.

"Making you stop hiding from us." Will said innocently.

Kayla's stomach fluttered with anticipation. "How do you expect to do that?" she asked, even though she had a feeling she already knew where this was going.

"Oh, I think you know Kayla." Will said. "So, you can either stop hiding from us, or face the consequences." Kayla didn't remove her face from the pillow, and Will smirked. "Alright, I guess you made you're choice."

Suddenly, Will started tickling Kayla's sides. Kayla tried to hold her laughter in, but she couldn't stop herself from dissolving into giggles as Will's fingers skittered up and down her sides. Her giggles turned into full blown laughter when Austin joined in and started tickling the backs of her knees. Will and Austin had tickled her before, to cheer her up or to take her down a peg or two, but this was more intense than she had ever experienced.

"Aww does this tickle Kayla?" Will teased, leaning in towards Kayla's ear to make sure she can hear him.

"Shut up Will!" Kayla squealed through her laughter.

"Come on Kayla. You know how to make this stop." Austin teased, moving up to tickle Kayla's sides while Will moved to tickle her neck. "Just stop hiding from us and maybe we'll show you mercy."

Kayla squirmed, trying to escape. "Fine! Fine! You win!" she squealed, laughing as Will's fingers tickled her neck. Will and Austin slowed their tickling as Kayla rolled over onto her back, no longer hiding her face in her pillow. As soon as she rolled over, Will and Austin attacked her again. Will tickled her neck and under her chin, and Austin skittered his fingers all over her stomach. "Hey! I did what you wanted me to!" Kayla protested before dissolving back into laughter.

Will smirked at her mischievously. "Yeah, but you were being stubborn, so it's only fair that we tickle you a little more." he said, his fingers fluttering under her chin and making her giggle.

"Besides, this is too much fun." Austin chimed in, squeezing her sides.

"But maybe if you beg for mercy, we'll stop." Will said, knowing that Kayla was too proud to beg, even in a situation as lighthearted as this. Kayla continued to squirm and giggle. But she didn't beg, at least not until Austin began to tickle her ribs.

Kayla let out a loud squeal. "Okay! I give in!" she said between bursts of laughter. But Austin and Will didn't stop, though they slowed down a little bit.

"You know what you have to say." Will said, smirking at her. 

They sped up the tickling again, and Kayla finally gave in. "Please! No more!" she squealed. "I'm begging you!"

Finally, Will and Austin stopped tickling her. Kayla curled into a ball on her side, a few stray giggles escaping her lips. Her cheeks were flushed bright red, both from embarrassment and laughter. When she finally caught her breath, she sat up on her bunk. "How are you doing?" Will asked.

"Better than I was earlier." Kayla said. "Although I'm also more annoyed with you two than I was earlier."

"You know you love us." Will said, wrapping his arms around Kayla in a hug.

"Yeah I do." Kayla admitted. Austin joined Will in hugging Kayla, and they stayed that way for a few minutes.

When they finally broke their hug, Will looked at Kayla seriously. "If you ever need help figuring out your identity, come talk to us. We'll always be here to listen and help."

Kayla nodded. "I will." she said.

"And if you ever need us to distract you, we'll happily do that for you too." Will added, playfully poking Kayla's side, making her flinch.

"Yeah, but I think I learned what that really means." Kayla said. "So, I think I'll find a way to distract myself that doesn't involve being tortured by you two."

"Like being with Willow?" Austin asked, smirking.

Kayla groaned, feeling her face grow warm. "Shut up Austin." she said, but she couldn't keep herself from smiling.

"Why should he?" Will asked. "It's not his fault that you blush every time someone mentions your girlfriend."

Kayla felt her cheeks flush. "Haven't you guys teased me enough today?" she asked, but she didn't sound annoyed.

"I suppose we have. Although it worked to distract you, so I think we did our job." Will said.

"I suppose that's a fair point." Kayla said. "Thank you guys. You really helped me today."

"Anytime, Kayla." Austin said, pulling her into another hug.

"We'll always be here for you." Will added, joining them.

Kayla let herself relax, feeling like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She knew that she wouldn't be able to avoid struggling with her identity. But she wasn't as stressed about it now, knowing that she had people who were there for her. And she let that thought ground her whenever she felt herself beginning to spiral about her identity.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry I didn't write much dialogue for Kayla while Will and Austin were tickling her. I didn't really know how to write that well. But I hope you still enjoyed reading it!


End file.
